Dublin call center to add 560 full-time jobs with benefits

Tuesday

Feb 14, 2017 at 5:00 AMFeb 14, 2017 at 5:44 AM

Tim Feran The Columbus Dispatch @timferan

HKT Teleservices plans to hire 560 people by Aug. 1 to work at its call center in Dublin, a result of "significant growth from an existing contract," said Dave Shapiro, president of the U.S. branch of the Hong Kong-based telecommunications company.

That's more than twice the 230 that the company employs there.

HKT has been in central Ohio for almost 15 years, but "the last two years, we've really had a growth spurt," Shapiro said.

In 2015, for example, the company — then known as PCCW Teleservices — moved to a 52,000-square-foot space at 5200 Rings Road in Dublin from a nearby location and hired 175 employees.

This expansion is primarily to service a large hospitality firm that HKT would not name.

Some of the new employees will be able to work remotely, and that's a good thing, said economist Bill LaFayette, owner of Regionomics, a Columbus consulting firm.

"They're jobs that people with moderate skill levels can take," and an opportunity for folks who live in areas of the state with higher jobless rates than central Ohio, LaFayette said. "From that standpoint, it's a really good thing."

The 560 call-center jobs are slightly more than the company now needs.

"There's always some attrition, so we're overhiring," Shapiro said. "But there's definitely more growth on the horizon. We're getting a lot of interest in what we do. With our engagement center, we're trying to build a different kind of business model for our clients."

HKT provides call-center and other customer services to companies around the world. It has call centers in Lincoln, Nebraska, and abroad, serving 35 clients. Central Ohio is HKT's main U.S. center, serving five clients.

"We like the highly educated workforce here, the highly diverse workforce, the personality of the people, the good Midwestern feel," Shapiro said.

To encourage a "family feeling," the company strives to create a fun environment with perks such as a meeting room built to replicate a tree house.

The call-center jobs are all full time with benefits. Starting pay is $13 per hour; performance bonuses of up to $2 per hour are available.

For more information, go to www.hktteleservices.com or call 614-280-1600.